Shoes used for playing golf and other field sports often include spikes or cleats that extend from the bottom of their respective soles. These spikes or cleats enhance the wearer's grip on soft surfaces such as turf. The spikes are typically removable, including male threads that engage corresponding female threads disposed in holes at predetermined locations on the bottom of the sole.
Particularly in the sport of golf, spiked shoes have become an essential element of equipment. While long metal spikes are often preferred for golf play on open fairways, golf courses have become stricter about the use of such spikes. Long metal spikes are believed to damage delicate greens and other low-cut turf. Many golf courses now require that alternative spikes, sold commercially under the trademark Soft Spikes.TM. (herein to be termed "short spikes") be worn. These short spikes are commercially available from various sources. One popular style of short spike comprises a dome-like base approximately 3/4 inch in diameter with a threaded root or stem section that is secured in a female threaded socket in the base of a normal golf shoe sole and has a plurality of small spikes projecting from each dome. Each of the small spikes is formed integrally with the domed base and projects no more than approximately 1/8-1/4 inch. The spike is constructed from a durable plastic product such as polyethylene. While short spikes are acceptable for use on greens, they do not have the same gripping ability on fairways and other higher-grass areas as traditional long metal spikes.
In addition, an age-old problem in golf is that spikes are preferably removed before entering club houses and other structures, as well as when walking on hard surfaces, such as pavements and parking lots. While short spikes alleviate some of these problems, it is still preferable to wear a flat sole in these non-turf areas.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an athletic shoe having a sole that enables the spike profile to be changed quickly and easily to meet different conditions. The sole should enable long spikes, short spikes and no spikes to be selectively provided to the bottom of the sole.